Antecedents of Rural Millennials' Behavioural Intention towards E-tailing: Extension of UTAUT Framework

The current study investigates the behavioural intention of rural millennials in India toward e-tailing by applying and extending the “Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2)” framework. By applying quantitative methods, this study examined the influence of seven constructs—Social Influence (SI), Price value(PV), Effort expectancy(EE), Performance Expectancy (PE), Habit (H), Hedonic Motivation (HM) and Facilitating Condition(FC)[50]—on behavioural intention to engage in e-shopping. Data analysis suggested that EE, SI, HM, and PV significantly influenced behavioural intention, with PV being the most influential predictor. Rather, no effects were reflected in the regression model for determinants PE, FC and H. Variance of 35 per cent was explained by the current proposed model in behavioural intention, showing a moderate predictive power. These results throws light on the growing importance of perceived value, ease of use, and enjoyment in framing the rural millennials’ e-tailing behaviour, while also pointing out the need to reassess traditional assumptions about technology adoption in rural contexts. The study provides both theoretical as well as practical insights for policymakers and e-commerce platforms targeting digitally emerging rural markets.